LA DODGERS: 2017 104-58, first place, lost to Houston in World Series
MANAGER Dave Roberts (third season)
ADDITIONS: OF Matt Kemp, RHP Tom Koehler, LHP Scott Alexander, LHP Henry Owens
SUBTRACTIONS: 1B Adrian Gonzalez, RHP Yu Darvish, RHP Brandon Morrow, RHP Brandon McCarthy, LHP Tony Watson, LHP Luis Avilan, LHP Scott Kazmir, LHP Adam Liberatore, OF Andre Ethier, INF Charlie Culberson, OF Curtis Granderson, LHP Grant Dayton, OF Franklin Gutierrez, RHP Josh Ravin
OUTLOOK: The Dodgers are favorites to win a sixth consecutive NL West title with a roster that returns mostly intact. They lost the World Series to Houston in seven games, extending the franchise's drought to 30 years without a championship. Los Angeles had a quiet offseason, other than shedding the contracts of Gonzalez, Kazmir and McCarthy in an effort to lower payroll. The move brings the team under the luxury tax for the first time since 2012, which figures to pay off next winter when a highly anticipated group of big-name free agents becomes available. Kemp has been a surprise in his return to the club. He was acquired from Atlanta as part of the Dodgers' salary dump and figured to be traded. However, he has been a solid performer in spring training. Kershaw anchors the rotation, and Jansen is one of the best closers in the game. A multitude of veterans will be vying for playing time as a result of the team's heavy use of platoons and matchup-driven lineups. Turner suffered a wrist injury late in spring training and will miss the early portion of the season.

MIAMI: 2017 77-85, second place
MANAGER Don Mattingly (third season)
ADDITIONS: INF Starlin Castro, CF Lewis Brinson, OF Cameron Maybin, 1B Garrett Cooper, RHP Jacob Turner, OF-1B Scott Van Slyke, RHP Jumbo Diaz, RHP Sandy Alcantara
SUBTRACTIONS: RF Giancarlo Stanton, LF M
OUTLOOK: New CEO Derek Jeter is accustomed to winning, but that is about to change. He traded away half of last year's starting lineup, including the NL MVP in Stanton, which means the Marlins are rebuilding yet again. Even with an entirely new outfield, the offense could be decent. But Castro and Realmuto are potential trade bait and might be gone before August, and the season will almost surely end Sept. 30, leaving the Marlins out of the playoffs for the 15th year in a row. This season is really about developing prospects acquired in those offseason trades, and if youngsters such as Brinson and Alcantara perform well, 2018 will be considered a successful start for Jeter.arcell Ozuna, CF Christian Yelich, 2B Dee Gordon, RHP Tom Koehler, OF Ichiro Suzuki, RHP Dustin McGowan, C A.J. Ellis

PREVIEW

Dodgers aim to snap 6-game skid at Miami

MIAMI -- With seven-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw on the disabled list, the Los Angeles Dodgers are lacking an ace to snap out of an embarrassing slump that now includes six straight losses.

The Miami Marlins beat the Dodgers 6-5 on Wednesday night, taking the second contest of a three-game series that concludes on Thursday.

As for Kershaw, he has not pitched since May 1 due to a biceps injury and has just one win this season.

"We're leaving it in his hands," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the Los Angeles Times when asked about Kershaw, who is long-tossing as he attempts to return from injury. "I'm encouraged. Hopefully (the injury) continues to get better.

But, in the meantime, the season must go on, and, on Thursday afternoon, the Dodgers turn to right-hander Kenta Maeda, a 30-year-old from Japan who posted a 29-17 record the past two seasons.

Maeda (2-3, 4.75 ERA) has hardly been an ace this season. He is not an overpowering pitcher -- he mixes in a cutter with a 92 mph fastball.

Meanwhile, the Marlins will start rookie left-hander Caleb Smith, whose scheduled Wednesday start was pushed back for reasons that were not immediately specified.

Smith (2-4, 3.63 ERA) has been impressive of late, striking out 31 batters and walking just four in his past four starts. He has a sterling 1.50 ERA in his past four starts.

Here is another concern for the Dodgers: Smith will be pitching on six days of rest for the second time this season, and the first such start was his best of the season. In that outing, on April 29, Smith beat the Colorado Rockies, allowing just two hits and one walk in seven innings, striking out nine.

Smith is one of Miami's bright spots this season, a fairly short list that includes catcher J.T. Realmuto -- who is their biggest All-Star candidate and hit the tiebreaking homer in Wednesday's win-- shortstop Miguel Rojas, second baseman Starlin Castro, starting pitcher Jarlin Garcia and relievers Nick Wittgren and Kyle Barraclough.

Largely due to those salary-dumping trades, Miami is on pace for 103 losses, which would be the second-worst season in franchise history.

Jeter, talking to media members during batting practice on Wednesday, expressed disappointment with the team he helped put on the field.

"I have no patience," Jeter said. "I have been preaching patience but ... we've got to tighten things up. I understand that it's a long season."

But if the Marlins (16-26) are disappointed, the Dodgers have to be absolutely horrified at how they have played in the first two months of the season, accumulating the exact same record as Miami.

After all, this is a Los Angeles team that won 104 regular-season games last year and made it to the World Series.

Besides the Kershaw injury, star shortstop Corey Seager is out for the year due to elbow surgery, and third baseman Justin Turner and second baseman Logan Forsythe didn't come off the disabled list until this week.

Batting slumps -- most notably by right fielder Yasiel Puig -- have also hurt the Dodgers.